Man charged after nurse attacked and seriously injured at BC hospital

A man has been accused of assaulting a nurse at a Metro Vancouver hospital in an attack that police say left her seriously injured last month.

Port Moody Police say a charge of assault causing bodily harm has been approved against a 41-year-old man of no fixed address.

He is scheduled to appear in court in Port Coquitlam on February 10.

Investigators say the man was arrested after officers responded to a call at Eagle Ridge Hospital on Nov. 20 about a discharged patient attacking a nurse.

Police say they arrested the man immediately after the alleged attack.

“I believe the suspect is known to police and has a criminal record,” said Const. Sam Zacharias in an interview with CBC News.

Zacharias said the nurse suffered “serious injuries” but did not elaborate on her condition or the additional circumstances surrounding the assault.

Adriane Gear, president of the British Columbia Nurses Union, said she was relieved to see charges laid against the alleged attacker, although she called it an “anomaly” and said people often got away with assaulting health workers.

“We are seeking legislative changes, such as in the Criminal Code of Canada, so that it is considered an aggravating circumstance at sentencing if someone has assaulted a health-care worker, including nurses,” he said.

Gear also called on British Columbia healthcare employers to provide more security officers at healthcare facilities.